More new EU members to work in UK

Up to 5,000 more workers from Bulgaria and Romania are to be allowed in to Britain each year to do seasonal farm work, the Home Office has announced.

Immigration Minister Phil Woolas confirmed that restrictions on immigration from the EU's two newest member states, limiting them to fruit picking and food processing jobs, would not be lifted.

But the numbers allowed in to do agricultural work would be raised from from 16,250 places to 21,250, he said, while the numbers accepted for food processing would stay at 3,500.

"It is essential that only those we need can come here to work and that is why we have decided to continue restricting the work that Bulgarian and Romanians can do here," Mr Woolas said.

"This is a prudent decision that will ensure the UK continues to benefit from the positive economic contribution Bulgarian and Romanian workers make, while protecting British workers and making sure the numbers coming here are managed in the national interest.

"We have already suspended tier three of the points based system to stop low skilled migrants from outside the European Economic Area entering the UK."

Migrant workers from the eight Eastern European countries, including Poland, which joined the EU in 2004 have full working rights in Britain.

Last year ministers cited pressures on public services as part of the reason why restrictions on the two new countries joining in January 2007 were put in place.

Rising unemployment, which on Wednesday hit 1.86 million, is likely to have been a key factor influencing Thursday's decision.

Earlier this year Mr Woolas said ministers would cap the population level at 70 million. But figures released on Wednesday revealed the number of new arrivals would have to fall drastically to hit that target.